Wagga Wagga is situated within the Wiradjuri Nation and has many local significant sites including Wollundry Lagoon & Tony Ireland Park, Wiradjuri Reserve & Gobba Beach, Bomen Lagoon, Bomen Axe Quarry and Flowerdale Lagoon. They have all been declared Aboriginal Places by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) in the Wagga Wagga area.

OEH has an ongoing program of assessing and recommending the declaration and gazettal of areas as Aboriginal Places throughout NSW. These declarations are a conservation tool and advance the recognition, protection and understanding of Aboriginal cultural values throughout NSW. The protective benefits of declaration can be augmented by using other tools such as Plans of Management.

Background

The Aboriginal Resettlement scheme in Wagga Wagga in the late 1970s to 1990s through the public housing scheme 175 private home were purchased to house Aboriginal families from all over NSW. The population increased to 3,500 families over a 20 year period. This led to a lot of Aboriginal unemployment, Education and Health issues. The Aboriginal people from Wagga and surrounding districts have worked hard to create employment opportunities for the Aboriginal community and Aboriginal Organisations.

People from all walks of life respect and encourage the development of an awareness and appreciation of each other’s heritage, culture and origin to live in harmony together. In so doing, Wagga Wagga has become a recognised leader in promoting Cultural Awareness and respect of people and their heritage, culture, sacred sites and special places of Wiradjuri and First Nations Peoples.

The local Aboriginal population is comprised of a multitude of Aboriginal people from all over NSW and other parts of Australia totally nearly 3,500 people, These people have made Wagga Wagga their home and their children to share their Cultural knowledge with the wider communities on significant dates or importance to Aboriginal people such Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week.

Local Services

Wagga Wagga has a number of Aboriginal Organisations that service the town and includes the following services to name a few:

- Riverina Aboriginal Medical & Dental Service

- Aboriginal Legal Service – ACT/NSW Legal Services

- Australian Unity – Aboriginal Home Care Provider

- Wagga Wagga Local Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group

- Clontarf Program for Boys – Mount Austin High School

- Ashmont Community Centre

- Ngurra Community Hub

- Tolland Neighbourhood Centre

- Kooringal Neighbourhood Centre

Achievements

Wagga Wagga is widely known to have people who are passionate and committed to helping Aboriginal people achieve the best they possibly can for the communities and families including on the in the Academic field and of course sporting field.  Wagga Wagga has produced many fine sportsman and woman over the years who were of Aboriginal descent across a variety of sports including:

- Rugby League

- Australian Rules

- Netball

- Touch Football

- Football (Soccer) The World Game

- Softball / Baseball

- Cricket